Pulmonary Hypertension

What is Pulmonary Hypertension?

Pulmonary hypertension or PH is due to high blood pressure in pulmonary arteries and arteries present in the right side of the heart. This might occur due to narrowing, damage or destruction of blood vessels. This hypertension could progress to a chronic stage with a markedly decreased exercise tolerance.

It is a rare lung disorder in which the pulmonary arteries that carry blood to the lungs become hard and narrow, making it difficult for blood to flow through the blood vessels leading to much higher blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries.

Pulmonary Hypertension

It occurs in individuals of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds, although it is much more common in young adults and is approximately twice as common in women as in men.

Pulmonary Hypertension Symptoms

The symptoms of this disease in its early stages might not be noticeable like:

• Bluish colour the lips and skin
• Chest pressure or pain
• Dizziness or fainting spells
• Fatigue
• Racing pulse or heart palpitations
• Shortness of breath
• Swelling in the ankles and legs.

Pulmonary Hypertension Causes

Sometimes the reason for high blood pressure in the lungs could not be found easily. In that case, the condition is known by the name idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. However, in other cases, there is another condition that’s causing the problem. Below mentioned illnesses could lead to high blood pressure in the lungs:

• • • A heart defect
    • Blood clots in the lungs
    • Congestive heart failure
    • HIV
    • Illegal drug use
    • Liver disease
    • Lung diseases like pulmonary fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema.
    • Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and other autoimmune diseases
    • Sleep apnea

Pulmonary Hypertension Classification

It is classified into five groups, depending on the cause:

Group 1: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

• Connective tissue disorders
• Gene mutation
• Chronic liver disease
• Drugs such as illegal prescription drugs
• Heart abnormalities by birth
• HIV infection

Group 2: Left-sided heart disease

• Lower left heart chamber failure
• Left-sided valvular heart disease

Group 3: Lung disease

• Sleep apnea and other sleep disorders
• Lung disease such as pulmonary fibrosis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Group 4: Chronic blood clots

• Chronic blood clots in the lungs

Group 5: Other conditions

• Tumours pressing against pulmonary arteries
• Metabolic disorders
• Disorders that affect several organs in the body
• Blood disorders

Read More: Hypertension